AN: Hello and welcome to the new story, it's planned as a three parter and set around five years after the movie.
Enjoy.
As Nick Wilde walked up to Judy Hopps' door, knocking softly, he couldn't help but think about the fact it had been exactly five years since they had first met. I bet she doesn't even remember. I mean, why would she? Why am I bothered? It's not a big deal, it's not like..." ugh".
Nick's thoughts were rather rudely interrupted in his opinion, by the grey ball of fluff that had just jumped on top of him, sending them both flying onto the floor.
"Nice one slick, you were supposed to catch me." Judy said whilst sat astride her friend.
"Carrots, a little warning never hurts. Now would you mind getting off me?"
"Now why would I do that? Are you saying I'm heavy?" Judy said in a mock warning tone, before leaning forward and wrapping her arms around the fox's neck.
"Nick?... What is that pressing into my butt?".
Nick looked up with a wink, making her turn bright red.
"You know you really are adorable when you're embarrassed" he said starting to laugh.
Judy looked down at the Nick. You want embarrassed fox, how's this?
She leaned in even closer, whispering in his ear, "I do hope, it's for me".
Nick's laugh turned into a coughing fit, as Judy sat up giggling.
"That's it!" Nick said with a playful growl, pushing himself up and flipping Judy onto her back, her legs still wrapped around his waist.
"Now Carrots, if I let you up are you going to behave yourself? Or am I going to have to..."
'THUNK'
Judy watched as her best friend slumped forward, and then landed on top of her.
"NICK! Get off... Nick?..." She then heard a voice she knew very well.
"Hello... yes police... I have apprehended a savage fox... what do you mean? It can't have been savage, it was attacking a rabbit... I knocked it out... With a brick, how else was I going to do it?"
Hearing this Judy pushed hard against Nick's chest rolling him off her.
"Mrs Evens, would you mind if I spoke to the operator?"
She took the phone off the stunned sheep. "Hello, it's officer Hopps... no forget the police... Yeh it was officer Wilde, not a savage fox... yes I'll send a picture, but I do think he needs an ambulance."
"Why did you tell them not to send the police? I saw that fox attacking you."
"Because he wasn't attacking me. Technically I think as far as the law is concerned I attacked Nick."
The sheep grabbed her phone, mumbling something about ungrateful rabbits, and only trying to help.
Nick came round as the paramedics arrived. After a quick check up, he was told he would be fine, but to try and avoid annoying anymore angry sheep.
He walked into Judy's apartment, collapsing on the sofa. "God I hate that old goat" he said pulling a rectangular box from his pocket.
"You know she isn't a goat, right?"
"Shut up, it's an expression. Anyway I...I have something for you. Sit down" he said nervously.
Judy looked over at her friend, before sitting next to him.
He took her paw in his own, sighing as he looked into her brilliant violet eyes. "Well, it's been five years, five years since you saved my life. I thought that I should mark that fact somehow, so... here."
Judy took the box looking up at the fox, "Nick, I can't take this, I mean I didn't save you, I.."
"Look fluff, I can't take it back, it's custom made, so at least open it."
She slowly opened the box, revealing a small carrot necklace. The carrot was made from five sapphires, topped with three emeralds.
Judy's nose starting twitching.
"Nick, it.. it's beautiful, how..." Judy didn't manage to finish her question before her tears took over.
"Now come on fluff" Nick said pulling her into his chest, "you bunnies, always so emotional."
Judy threw a weak punch into Nick's chest, making him chuckle, as he wrapped his arms around her.
"Thank you cotton tail. You saved me, and I will never forget it," he said under his breath, as he rested his chin on his friends head.
"Nick, thank you." was all Judy could manage as she drifted off to sleep.
"You're more than welcome fluff" he said as he lifted her in his arms and took her into the bedroom.
Placing her into the bed he covered her with a sheet, leaning down he placed a tender kiss on her forehead before leaving the room. "See you tomorrow, fluff."
Tomorrow, I'll tell her how I feel... who am I kidding, that was the whole point of coming here today, and I still wimped out.
As Judy awoke she looked around her room.
That's strange, I don't remember going to bed last night, and why am I still dressed?.
As she got up and got ready for work, the small box on her table caught her eye, I never even tried it on, Nick must hate me, I'll wear it today.
As she picked it up she noticed a small note in the box. 'To the best carrot in the world, Nick.
P.s. turn it over."
She picked up the carrot, turning it over to see what looked like lines carved into the back.
Looking back at the box she saw a small magnifying glass and picking it up read the inscription.
'Judy, five years have passed, and every day I thank God I met you. You saved me and I can never repay that, thank you."
She placed the necklace back in the box. Wiping a tear from her eye, she decided something this precious was best kept safe.
As she walked into work she spotted Benjamin Clawhauser sat at his desk, "Morning benji" she called up, only to see him look up and become rather confused.
You have got to be kidding me, she thought as she jumped up onto the desk.
"Ben, I have been here five years, and you still forget to look down every morning".
"Sorry Judy, it's just I'm not used to small mammals."
"Did you forget about fluff butt again Ben?"
Both mammals looked down to see a grinning fox, "What was that Nick?" Judy asked scowling down at her partner.
Nick let out a nervous laugh, "Now Carrots, You wouldn't attack the fox who put you to bed last night, would you?"
"That was you? Well in that case, Catch!" She shouted jumping down at him.
Now this wasn't the easiest of tasks, as he was currently holding a cup of coffee and a box of doughnuts. Dropping both, he caught the rabbit who wrapped her arms round his neck.
"Thanks Nick" she said letting go of him.
"Aww, you two are just the cutest"
Judy turned a scowl on the cheetah, "Ben! What have I said about..."
"Don't even try it girl friend. Your cuteness is the only thing keeping me from climbing over this desk and killing you, like you killed my doughnuts."
Judy looked down to see the mess of coffee and pastries on the floor, "And I'm not paying for them Nick."
"Fine, but you still owe me $427"
"WHAT!?"
"You didn't pay them for last week's."
"But I only had.." he paused counting on his fingers. His face slowly darkened, then lightened again suddenly "wow they must be giving me a discount then".
"No, you owe the other $163, to Fangmeyer, I ran out of money." Nick said as he reached for the roll of paper towel, that had become compulsory after Clawhauser had spilt milkshake on his paper work three times in a week.
After cleaning up the mess, both Judy and Nick headed into their office. "You owe me a coffee, but I'll let you off the doughnuts ."
As Chief Bogo finished handing out the assignments, he walked over to the door closing and locking it. Nick and Judy looked at each other in confusion as they were the only mammals left in the room.
"Now, you two" the buffalo grunted turning to face them, "I was recently asked to send all personnel files over to the ZBI, I have no idea why, neither do I care why. What I do care about is two of my best officers being flagged." He said glaring at Nick.
"Sir, may I ask if that look is one of accusation, or just your normal caring death stare?"
"Shut it Wilde, this is no joking matter. There is an agent on his way now, and what I would like to know, is exactly what the ZBI may have found."
Nick gave his boss a determined look, "Sir, can we speak privately please."
Both Bogo and Judy looked at him in shock. In the five years Nick and Judy had worked together Nick had never asked to speak to the chief alone.
"Wilde, we are alone, what game are you playing?"
Nick turned and looked at Judy, his face softening before turning back to his CO "No sir, we aren't".
Judy's eyes didn't leave her partner, "Nick? If you have something to say I want to hear it too. Haven't I earned that?"
"I'm sorry Fluff, but I need to talk to the chief alone. Depending on his response, I will tell you later, but for now ..."
Before Judy could answer, Bogo turned to her, anger clear on his face, "Hopps, leave"
Judy turned to her boss, and seeing the look he was currently giving Nick, she decided now would not be a good time to push him. "Yes sir"
As she walked out she turned back to see Nick mouth two words to her "I'm sorry".
As the door closed behind her, Bogo locked it, "This had better be good Wilde"
"Sir, you know my past, and I know for the past five years you have been fighting for me. I have done everything in my power to repay that, but there are things you don't know."
"Well I think it's time you told me, don't you?"
"As you know I... did some work for Mr Big. Nothing illegal but enough that he trusted me. As I'm sure you know Mr Big is, well was, a smuggler, but he had rules."
Nick looked his boss directly in the eye. "Three very simple rules. No drugs. No weapons, and most importantly, no mammals for sale."
At this point Bogo held up a hoof, "For sale?"
Nick's eyes hardened "Women and kits Sir"
Bogo suddenly went very still, as he looked at the fox, who just nodded, "It turns out that not all of his associates had the same morals as him."
"I was arrested by the ZBI. They suspected me of being involved. It took a lot of convincing but when they realised I knew nothing about it, well they made me an offer."
"I find out what was going on, tell the ZBI where and when, and leave Mr Big's employment, and I would get $50'000."
At this Nick saw the disbelieving look on his boss' face, "Before you say anything, I told them where to stick their money. Anything else, sure, but kit smuggling is something that has always sickened me."
"As interesting as this is Wilde, get to the point."
"In short, I did the job. But Mr Big found out about what had been going on and iced the top players before the ZBI could catch them."
Bogo nodded, "But why wait so long? And why Hopps as well? Something doesn't add up." The chief said scratching his chin, before looking back at the fox. "Why couldn't you tell me this with officer Hopps here?"
Nick let out a long breath, "Two reasons. One, it is a time in my life I would prefer to keep in the past, and she likes asking questions. Two, I believe I just broke three federal laws by telling you, so I wasn't inclined to tell more mammals than was needed."
As the pair left the room, they found Clawhauser coming towards them, "Chief, there is a mammal here to see you."
"Send him to my office, I'll be right there. Wilde go find officer Hopps and meet me there."
Nick disappeared off to his and Judy's office, only to find she wasn't there. He pulled out his phone finding a message.
'If you decide I deserve to know what's going on, I will be in the canteen.'
As Nick walked in he spotted Judy hunched over the table. He noticed she was crying and placed an arm around her. Something he had done countless times. After all this time he didn't even think about it. Placing one arm around her and stroking her ears with the other.
"Get your paws off me Nick" Judy said through gritted teeth.
He slowly moved away, "Carrots, please don't do this."
"Me? Ha, this coming from my 'partner' of five years, my best friend, and I'm the one in the wrong? Screw you Nick."
"Fine, I'll tell you, I'm probably going to lose my job, if not get prison time anyway. Suppose it can't get worse. But right now we need to be in Bogo's office "
"WAIT! What do you mean lose your job? What.."
"Not now, the chief is waiting for us."
Nick turned and walked away, Judy rushing to catch up.
As they arrived at Bogo's door Nick knocked before they walked in, "Hopps wait a moment, Wilde take a seat please."
Judy stopped dead in her tracks. First Nick, now chief Bogo, what is going on? I'm meant to be Nick's partner, not some outsider she thought, before slowly turning and leaving the room.
"First off, this is not to do with any previous case, secondly, although they were not pleased with the idea, should you wish to I have cleared it so you can tell officer Hopps, but the decision is yours"
"Thank you Sir, I appreciate it."
"You two work well, but if you can't trust each other, then you can't work together, it's that simple."
Bogo then got up opening the door, "Hopps, come and sit down"
As soon as Judy sat down, a rapping came at the door, "come in" Bogo called.
Slowly the door opened and a small mammal entered, "would you mind?" Came a clipped English accent, as the mammal indicated the chiefs desk.
Bogo nodded and the mammal jumped onto the table with surprising ease.
He then turned to the two officers.
"Hello, my name is agent Jack Savage.
And you two belong to me."
AN: So what do you think if part one? I enjoyed writing this a lot, especially the fluff at the start, so maybe there might be a little bit more as the story goes on.
As always keep those ears pointy, and those tails wagging.